*Erik*
“I should go get Mani,” Ellie says as I lead her back to bed.
“No,” I tell her, not letting her turn away from the bed. “You are to stay in bed and heal. She is safe and cared for. Now, let me care for you.”
“I should care for her,” she protests weakly, but she sits on the bed, too sore to fight. She cannot keep up with Mani with how she is right now.
“That is not how it works here,” I remind her. “Everyone helps out when needed. There will be days when other mothers are ill, and you will care for their children. She is fine. Rest now.”
She nods and lays down on her side, careful not to let anything touch her back. She faces away from my side of the bed, so as I lay with her, all I can see is the damage that I inflicted upon her.
The marks are red and angry. Some are
